The Silkie Factor
by Jurodan
Summary: The Titans learn far more than they want to about Starfire's culture... especically, the duties of a K'Norfka... PG for suggestive content
1. So Nasty

Disclaimer: Since I obviously don't own the copyright to Teen Titans, I'm taking advantage of the Fair Use Clause of the Copyright laws to write a story with them in it. Who knew the government would protect the little guys? Anyway, I hope you enjoy.

Note: The story about to be portrayed is based on actual observations of Teen Titans. If you don't believe me watch the episodes: Can I Keep Him and Betrothed. I reacted much like one of the characters when I figured it out.

So... Nasty...

The other titans had adjusted to the mutant moth larva, Beast Boy taking care of it when Starfire was busy or away. Still, it was Starfire who paid the most attention to the mutant bug. Silkie was her constant companion, she took it on walks, fed it, sang to it (much to the chagrin of anyone with eardrums in the vicinity), burped it, and cuddled it. Today, however, the Titans were about to learn something far more interesting…

Starfire sat down, lifting Silkie and cuddling him, "OH! SILKIE!" She gleamed, and tickled the off white larva. It wiggled its little tendrils and made a strange, yet happy sounding gurgling noise. She pulled it close and hugged it tightly, "Oh Silkie, I am so happy to see you this day!"

Raven looked over to her friend and rolled her eyes; she had been doing that every day for the past week. It was not only getting old, it was getting irritating. Beast Boy passed her by, carrying some tofu product with a foul scent, which drew her attention to him. He was carrying… something, but she couldn't quite make out what. The people who lived here… she sighed and looked back into her book until she heard a crash and Starfire scream.

"SILKIE!" Starfire immediately lifted the moth larva from the ground, showing everyone that it had been covered in the brown tofu product Beast Boy had been carrying.

"Sorry Star… I tripped." Beast Boy said, lifting himself from the floor. He looked to where his lunch was lying on the floor unhappily, but laughed when he saw Silkie.

"Oh, my little bungorf, you need another bath…" She glared at Beast Boy who put his hands up, trying to apologize, then quickly started cleaning up the floor.

Raven looked over, watching Beast Boy clean the floor when a small glob of the brown… substance that had been his lunch landed on his head. He looked up at Starfire at the same moment that Raven did and their eyes widened simultaneously.

"Uh… Starfire… what are you doing?" Raven asked, staring in complete disbelief as Starfire licked the mutant worm.

She stopped licking Silkie for a moment, looking at them confused, "I am giving him a bath."

Beast Boy shook his head, regaining his senses, "With your tongue?" Beast Boy asked, still in shock.

Stopping again, she nodded vigorously, "Yes!" She smiled and then went back to licking the last of Beast Boy's lunch off of the bug.

Beast Boy turned a sickly color and Raven shuddered involuntarily. "So… nasty…" Raven murmured, closed her book, got up and left the operations room.

Starfire went back to the couch, sat back down and squeezed Silkie close, and Beast Boy collapsed. "Friend Beast Boy? Is something wrong?"

Beast Boy got up, grabbed his head and shook himself again to shock himself back into reality, "Starfire… is that how you always bathe Silkie?"

Starfire hugged Silkie tightly, and nodded vigorously, "Yes! Of course!" She paused and looked at him confused, "Why do you ask?"

Beast Boy opened his mouth but Robin and Cyborg entered the room talking about their video games before he could say anything. "Hey Starfire… Beast Boy? Is something wrong?" Robin asked, looking at Beast Boy sitting on the floor.

"Silkie was given a bath and Beast Boy fell to the floor." Starfire said, "Can you hold Silkie?" She handed him to Robin and Beast Boy made a face of complete disgust.

"What is it Beast Boy?" Robin asked, trying to figure out another way of holding Silkie, as Starfire bent over Beast Boy trying to figure out what was wrong with him.

Beast Boy pulled away as Starfire went to touch him, scurrying away as a small green rat until getting far away from her, then returning to normal. He saw Robin lean Silkie up against his chest and finally lost it, "GROSS! Dude, Starfire gave Silkie a bath with her tongue!"

Robin blinked, looking to Starfire, then laughed, "That's a nice one Beast Boy, you almost had me there for a moment." He pointed at Beast Boy smiled, and laughed some more.

Beast Boy didn't change his expression, still looking disgusted. Starfire watched Robin confused, "What is funny?"

Robin watched her closely… he knew that face, she wasn't confused that Robin found it funny, she was confused Robin had thought it was a joke. Robin felt a ripple of shock and disgust run through him as his jaw fell open. He didn't even notice he had dropped Silkie until Starfire landed at his feet, grabbing the bug.

"Robin! You nearly dropped Silkie!"

Robin couldn't respond outside of watching her blinking a few times then slowly turning around and slowly walking away. Cyborg looked at Beast Boy then to Starfire, "You mean… Beast Boy… please tell me that was a sick joke."

Beast Boy shook his head, and Starfire looked all the more confused, "What do you mean by sick joke? I was unaware jokes could be ill."

Cyborg grabbed his mouth, trying to withhold the mouth full of lunch he had just upchucked. He turned and fled from the room, leaving Starfire holding Silkie and Beast Boy with his back to the wall. "I think something is wrong with our friends."

Beast Boy watched the door close and shook his head, "Uh… yeah Star…" He got up gingerly, edging his way across the wall towards the exit, "I think it might be you…" With that he turned and ran full tilt reaching the door and rushing out before Starfire could ask him what he meant.

Starfire turned the corner, walking towards her room, when she saw Raven and Cyborg talking. She raised her arm to greet them warmly, but then thought about what Beast Boy had said, she wasn't sure what to do so she whirled back around the corner and hid, listening to her friends while they talked.

"You mean you SAW her do it?" Cyborg asked emphatically.

"Yes, I saw it." Raven's monotone voice didn't have any emotion to it.

"And this wasn't some gag set up by BB?" Cyborg asked, trying to keep himself from shuddering.

Raven raised an eyebrow, "Me? In on one of Beast Boy's 'gags'?"

Cyborg stared at her for a moment then shuddered, his entire body vibrating, "Oh… jeeze… Starfire… that little bug of hers… unclean… unclean…"

Raven turned away with a sigh and her eyes went wide, Starfire stood at the edge of the hall, starring at them wide eyed, and her arm reaching towards her chin as she always did when unsure. "Starfire…" Raven groaned inwardly, this wasn't going to turn out well…

"I do not understand… why is everyone avoiding me?" She asked, her normally happy face was filled with unfamiliar creases of worry.

Raven took a step forward, only then noticing that Cyborg had backed away, still muttering 'unclean' under his breathe. She turned back and growled to him, using her powers to halt his retreat, "Don't make such a big deal out of it, she licked her bug, it's not that bad." Cyborg looked at Star and smiled uneasily. Raven was right it's not like she had done anything terribly wrong, it was normal for Star to do … odd things. Raven looked back at the Tamaranian who was watching them utterly confused. "It's just, well, none of us have ever seen you bathe Silkie before and we weren't used to it." Raven said as diplomatically as she possibly could.

"Yeah…" Cyborg said and nodded, backing up Raven.

"I do not understand." Starfire said, shaking her head and leaning up against the wall.

Raven looked up, trying to formulate a response. Cyborg walked over to Starfire and smiled, "I wasn't there, I really shouldn't have judged you."

Starfire shook her head confusion painfully obvious on her face, "Judge me? Why would you do that? I do not understand…" She looked down, she was getting more upset, why were these earthen ways so different from her home.

Cyborg chuckled lightly, lifting her jaw up a bit so he could look her in the face, "Star, on earth, people don't lick bugs."

"Well, it is not normally done on Tamaran either… but it is the duty of the K'Norfka to keep their Bungorf clean." Starfire said matter of factly.

Raven paused, K'Norfka… she had heard that term before… Starfire had referred to Galfore as her K'Norfka. A wave of nausea swept over Raven as a thought that disturbed Raven far worse than anything they had faced in battle struck her. Her mouth moved and she shuddered involuntarily, holding her hand up to Starfire and Cyborg as she fought to regain control and push … THAT image out of her mind. When she finally reopened them, all the lights in the hall had been busted.

"Raven?" Starfire looked to her friend, looking to see what was wrong but Raven quickly lifted her cowl and retreated.

"It's… nothing Starfire." Raven turned, "I need to meditate, now." Without another word, Raven walked soundlessly down the hallway.

Starfire looked after Raven, Cyborg turning on his flashlight just as she turned at the edge of the hall and disappeared. Starfire looked back to Cyborg, concerned, "What is wrong with friend Raven?"

Cyborg watched the empty hallway, Raven had lost it when Starfire had mentioned something about K'Norfka and Bungorf, whatever those words meant, "Probably nothing Star, don't worry, I'll go talk to her." He looked back to the Tamaranian princess who was smiling uneasily, nodded then left her in the dark.

Raven had stopped meditating shortly after starting; there was no way she could keep the sick and twisted image out of her mind. She had read about sacrificial rites to dark gods that sounded less sickening than… Raven shuddered to even think of Galfore cleaning Starfire as a child. With his tongue no less… and that was when she had the urge to rush to her bathroom and released the contents of her stomach.

Raven had never felt so sick in her life; it was beyond nausea, beyond measure. She barely heard the sound of Cyborg knocking on her door. Taking a long moment to wash the foul taste of tea from her mouth, Raven got up and got to the door, still holding her stomach.

"One minute Cyborg…" She grabbed her stomach, trying to keep herself steady.

"Raven, you in there?" She heard his familiar tone of voice, but he sounded a little more concerned than usual. Then again, she usually didn't blow up all the lights in a hallway and run.

"Fine, Cyborg, I'm fine." She said, finally reaching the door and opening it up. Cyborg stared down at her quizzically, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment, she raised an eyebrow, "What is it?"

"Well, Star wanted me to come after you… about the explosive display?" He smiled and blushed a little, then he seemed to notice something, pointing down at her chest, "Uh… what's that?"

Raven looked down, she had managed to splatter some herself when she had 'visited' her bathroom a few moments ago, she wiped it away, "Nothing… don't worry about it." She turned to walk back into her room, closing the door behind her.

"Are you sure you feel ok? You… smell like you just threw up." He said somewhat sheepishly, and pulled away as if expecting an attack.

Raven paused, then turned around and held the door open, "So, you didn't figure it out?" She was somewhat surprised by that fact, Cyborg was generally intelligent, he probably should have remembered.

"Figure what out?" He looked confused, but nowhere near Starfire's level.

Raven winced, she really wasn't sure she wanted to tell him at this point, it was… a bit disturbing even for her to think about in the deep dark recesses of her mind. She shook her head, "Nothing, don't worry about it."

His hand fell on her shoulder, "Come on Raven, don't leave me hanging here, tell me what's wrong."

Raven snorted, "Your mistake…" She lifted Cyborg's arm and turned to face him, if nothing else, she would face him when she told him, "Galfore."

"… The leader of Tamaran? What about him?"

"He was Starfire's K'Norfka, think about it." Raven said, in a sick way, this was going to be amusing, to say the least.

"And that has something to do with this… because?" He made a moving motion with his hands and Raven sighed.

He still wasn't getting it, did he even pay attention to what Starfire had said? "Do you remember what Starfire said about being a K'Norfka? She said something about…"

"…keeping your Bunghorf clean… oh…" Cyborg's face paled a bit and he started turning green as he turned and walked towards his room, murmuring 'unclean… unclean… unclean… unclean…'.


	2. Understanding Different Cultures

Disclaimer: Since I obviously don't own the copyright to Teen Titans, I'm taking advantage of the Fair Use Clause of the Copyright laws to write a story with them in it. Who knew the government would protect the little guys? Anyway, I hope you enjoy.

Note: The story about to be portrayed is based on actual observations of Teen Titans. If you don't believe me watch the episodes: Can I Keep Him and Betrothed. I reacted much like one of the characters when I figured it out.

Understanding Different Cultures

Robin sat down on the couch in the operations room and flipped on the TV. The morning had been… disturbing. The revelation that Starfire cleaned Silkie by licking him had been a most unwelcome and disquieting thought. Robin had always been interested in Starfire, but that one fact had nearly put him off entirely. As for Starfire herself, he hadn't seen her since the incident. Right now, Robin sat down and relaxed, wondering where everyone else was. It was then that he heard Cyborg outside the door. He couldn't quite make out the words he was saying, but he seemed to be repeating the same thing over and over again. Already bored, and with nothing better to do, Robin got up and walked to the door.

"… unclean… unclean… unclean…" Cyborg was murmuring repetitively as he walked away from the boy wonder. Robin stared at his friend, who seemed to be in a state of complete shock, walking aimlessly threw the corridors of Titans Tower.

Robin followed him, tapping him lightly on the shoulder, "Cyborg? Is everything alright?"

Cyborg looked at him for a moment, then continued walking down the corridor, "unclean… unclean… unclean…"

Robin watched him and scratched his head, that was… odd, but this day had been following that pattern. He turned around and found himself staring at Starfire's chest. She hovered just inches from his eyes and he stumbled back a step startled. She looked over him, watching as Cyborg turned a corner and walked out of view. Taking a moment, she floated to the floor and smiled at Robin, "What is this… unclean Cyborg speaks of?"

Robin blinked, "I… really don't know Starfire."

"I fear that the unclean he speaks of is me…" Starfire said, holding her arms across her chest and looking down ashamed.

Robin sighed and walked over to her, "I'm sure that's not the case Starfire. Besides…" Robin suddenly realized he didn't know what to say to the Tamaranian who was watching him with sparkling green eyes waiting for him to reassure her.

"What is besides Robin?" She started to smile weakly as he struggled to find something, anything to tell her.

"Besides… uh… well… you bathed today, right?" She nodded and he sighed thankfully, "Well then he can't be speaking about you." She gleamed and nearly crushed his ribs as she hugged him.

"Thank you Robin!"

"Star… can't… breathe…" Robin managed to struggle out and she released him, causing him to gasp for air for a moment.

Starfire blushed, "I am afraid I do not know my own strength sometimes."

Robin clutched at his now sore side and nodded, "That's ok Star… hey… do you know how long he was doing that?"

Starfire put her finger to her lip and pondered for a moment, then threw an arm into the air as a light bulb went off in her mind, "Friends Raven and Cyborg were talking in the hallway. I do not know why, but friend Raven left and Cyborg followed her. I do not know what happened when they talked… but I heard him saying the unclean when he was leaving the door to Raven's room."

Robin nodded, trying to piece together Starfire's garbled message, "So, Cyborg talked to Raven, and then started acting that way?"

Starfire nodded and smiled warmly, "Yes!"

'What could they have talked about to make Cyborg do that?' Robin's brow furrowed, "Starfire, can you watch Cyborg? I'm going to go talk to Raven." Starfire nodded and flew off, leaving Robin in the otherwise empty hallway. 'I wonder what Raven and Cyborg were talking about when Starfire came over? I know Raven isn't exactly… talkative, but she doesn't usually walk away from Cyborg.' He pondered the rhetorical question as he walked to Raven's room; not exactly sure he wanted to find out.

Raven had finally managed to get that image out of her head, although it would probably haunt her nightmares for the rest of her natural life. Still, meditation had become far easier and she had calmed down significantly since Cyborg had come to her room earlier. Possibly more importantly, she had changed leotards as well, throwing out the one she had been in when she had unceremoniously 'worshipped the porcelain god' as Beast Boy had once called it. Her mind had gone wandering and she forced it back to the meditative chant "Azarath… Metrion…"

Before she could finish, there was a knock on the door. "What is it? I'm meditating." She said a bit louder than she usually did. She really hoped it wasn't Starfire.

"Hey Raven, you know what's up with Cyborg, he's been acting kind of weird… Starfire said he was at your room right before he started acting odd." Robin's voice echoed through the door. She lowered and then shook her head, telling Cyborg… THAT was a mistake.

"One minute…" She said, putting her cowl up. In a few swift motions she got off her bed walked to the door and opened it a fraction of an inch, "What is it?"

"Do you know what's wrong with Cyborg?" Robin asked. The door closed immediately, and then opened fully. Raven stood before him, looked to see if anyone was with him, and then pulled him into the room.

Robin was about to yell at her when she turned around, "I made a mistake."

"A mistake? What do you mean?" Confusion was written all over Robin's face.

"Starfire… she has something in her past, I figured it out and I told Cyborg."

"What is it?"

Raven turned to him and lifted an eyebrow, "You… don't want to know."

Robin watched her, tilting his head to the side, "You told Cyborg."

"And you saw how he took it." Raven turned back around.

"Well, how am I supposed to help him if I don't know what happened to him?" Robin asked frustrated.

"He'll deal with it, give him some time."

"What happens if the city is attacked before he gets over it? What then? Are we supposed to let him walk around in a daze saying 'unclean… unclean…' while we fight? Come on Raven, I have to know."

"I really don't think…"

"Just tell me, I don't have time to play games and you're certainly not someone I expect to play them with."

Raven shook her head and lowered her cowl, "Robin, it's about Starfire."

Robin nodded slowly, "What about her."

"You know her culture is much different from out own, as you learned this morning."

"Of course her culture is different, she's from a different planet. Now cut to the point."

"Look, I really don't think this is a good ideas…"

"Raven, just tell me already."

"Fine, I warned you. You know how she licked that bug clean?" Robin nodded and opened his mouth to say something but Raven held a hand up, "She told me in the hall that was the duty of a K'Norfka to keep their Bungorf clean. Silkie was her Bungorf."

Robin paused, "Bugorf… K'Norfka… I remember those, she used them on Tamaran." Raven nodded, and then Robin turned a sickly green color. Raven didn't wait for him to say anything, quickly guiding him to her bathroom before he stained her carpet.

Starfire watched Beast Boy leave Raven's room, wondering how he had entered Raven's room without noticing. That's when she gasped, it wasn't Beast Boy, it was Robin! Robin had nearly turned green, he looked sick and was holding his stomach, stumbling towards the medical lab, Raven following him. 'What is has friend Raven been doing?' Starfire bit her lower lip, 'And why is Robin ill?' She floated from around the corner and followed them.

Raven looked back before Starfire had time to hide. She waved at her friend who nodded and continued leading Robin down the hall. Starfire moved to follow, but a hand grabbed her wrist. She turned to find Beast Boy looking down at the floor, "I really don't think that's a good idea Star…"

"Is Robin ill, he has taken the skin color you have?" Starfire asked, worried.

Beast Boy nodded and managed to hold on while she started to fly away, "Star! Wait!" She stopped again and he sighed, "I heard what Raven told Robin, and I think it's what she told Cyborg too."

"Friend Raven has been… talking about me?" Beast Boy nodded slowly and Starfire shook her head, "I do not understand, why would she talk about me?"

"I don't know, perhaps she needed to get it of her chest… she didn't want to tell Robin, I heard them arguing before she told him."

Starfire landed, and watched Beast Boy who looked away ashamed, "Beast Boy, what did she tell Robin?"

"I… it… is it true? Do K'Nrokfa clean their Bunghors with their tongues?" He asked sheepishly.

For a moment, she didn't register the mispronunciations then a light bulb when off in her head and she smiled and nodded, "K'Norfka clean their Bunghorf's with their tongues when they are very small. Silkie is very small." Beast Boy shuddered a little and Starfire looked over at him, "Is something wrong?"

"Starfire… I have something to tell you." She waited intently while he managed to look up at her wide green eyes, "On earth… that is disgusting."

Starfire reeled as if she had been slapped, "But I have seen animals do that!"

Beast Boy nodded, "I know, I know Star, I've seen it too. I've been most animals, which is why…" he looked down the hall where Robin and Raven had been when the conversation had started. They were long gone, "… I was ashamed that I was afraid earlier. I'm sorry Starfire, but even now, it's still odd to us." Beast Boy smiled weakly, and then looked back down at the floor.

"Why?"

"Huh?" Beast Boy looked up to find Starfire watching him curiously.

"Why is it odd?"

"Because it is… here people don't lick things off their kids… it would probably be a form of abuse."

"But… but how is one supposed to know if their child is truly clean or not?"

Beast Boy shuddered again, a much more visible tremor than before, "Starfire I'm having a bit of trouble with this… maybe you should talk to Raven about it…" He grabbed his stomach and slowly made his way down the hall, leaving her alone.

Raven left Robin in the infirmary, he would probably need to be there for a while. She should probably be in there as well…

"Raven?" She nearly jumped as she heard Starfire from behind, but managed to play it off as if it had been a misplaced step.

"Yes Starfire?" Raven asked without turning, partly out of shame and partly because she wasn't sure if looking at her friend would make those vile images return.

"What did you tell friends Cyborg and Robin?"

Raven paused, Starfire was naïve, and lying to her might get her out of this mess, but would it really be the right thing to do? The mental image struck her mind again, "I… Starfire, please tell me you were playing some sort of joke this morning when you licked Silkie. Please tell me Beast Boy set this entire thing up."

Starfire floated in front of her friend, Raven was looking down at the floor, cowl covering her face, "It was not. It is a tradition on my planet."

Raven tried to suppress both disgust and her stomach's urge to release it's contents, "I was hoping I was wrong… did Galfore do that to you as a child?"

"When I was very little." Raven seemed to shrink when she said that, and her hand wandered to her stomach as Starfire watched, "It is the tradition of my people."

"Starfire… as much as I understand culture, as much as I read about it, that… that is just far too disturbing for me to ever want to think about."

"So why did you tell the others if it disturbed you so?" Starfire's voice became harsher, a bit angrier; it was the tone she used in combat, when she was facing an adversary.

"Starfire, I'm sorry I told, I really am… in fact I'm sorry I learned about this in the first place." Raven felt slightly nauseous and her hand remained at her stomach, "I had to get that thought out of my head, Cyborg came to see what was wrong and I told him… and then Robin came to me about why Cyborg was acting oddly and he forced me to tell him. I'm sorry Star, I really am."

Raven's head dipped lower and the anger drained away from Starfire, "I did not know it was inappropriation to bath a child with your turmbelt here."

"I think you mean inappropriate… and I guess turmbelt means tongue on your planet?" Raven said, looking up and Starfire nodded and smiled, Raven looked back down, "Are you still angry at me?"

"I was… and I am not happy with you for not telling me first… but I forgive you." Starfire said and she put her arm around her friend's shoulder. Raven opened her mouth to complain, but after everything that had happened today, she couldn't bring herself to yell at Starfire for such a simple act of friendship… although one of the light bulbs overhead exploded in the place of her saying anything.

"Maybe I could tell you more about my culture… this way this does not happen again, yes?" Starfire smiled widely, filled with hope.

Raven nodded slowly, "Sure Star… just not today…" Starfire's smile dimmed slightly, but remained, "As it is, I need a shower."

Starfire shuddered involuntarily, a very small tremor but Raven noticed it immediately, "Is everything ok Starfire?"

Starfire smiled cheerfully… but falsely, "Yes, everything is fine."

"No, I know something is wrong, what is it?" Raven watched her friend closely, raising an eyebrow.

"I do not understand how you can 'shower'." She replied her smile had faded.

Raven twitched and let the arm fall off her shoulder, "I'm sorry? You don't shower?"

Starfire pulled away from her, "Of course not! I do not understand how you can!" Starfire looked absolutely disgusted and Raven took a step back.

"I know you bathe… please… please tell me you don't use your tongue… Starfire… please." Raven pleaded, she truly dreaded knowing one of her teammates, specifically the one who occasionally hugged her, cleaned herself with her own tongue.

Starfire starred at her friend utterly confused then smiled sheepishly. "I like bathes." Raven sighed visibly and Starfire smiled.


End file.
